Products for cleaning hard surfaces are widely available on the market. These products are used for two purposes, the first being to clean soil from the surface and the second being to leave the surface with an aesthetically pleasing finish e.g. spot-free or shiny. However, products available on the market often require rinsing with water after use. Typically when the water dries from the surface water-marks, smears or spots are left behind. These water-marks, it is believed may be due to the evaporation of water from the surface leaving behind deposits of minerals which were present as dissolved solids in the water, for example calcium, magnesium and sodium ions and salts thereof or may be deposits of water-carried soils, or even remnants from a cleaning product, for example soap scum. This problem is often exacerbated by some cleaning compositions which modify the surface during the cleaning process in such a way that after rinsing, water forms discrete droplets or beads on the surface instead of draining off. These droplets or beads dry to leave consumer noticeable spots or marks known as water-marks. This problem is particularly apparent when cleaning ceramic, steel, plastic, glass or painted surfaces. A means of solving this problem, known in the art is to dry the water from the surface using a cloth or chamois before the water-marks form. However, this drying process is time consuming and requires considerable physical effort.
PCT Publication WO 97/48927 is directed to a cleaning composition, method, and apparatus for cleaning exterior windows. This publication states that it discloses a no scrub/no wipe method for cleaning exterior windows without filming or spotting. A spray gun comprising separate chambers for a cleaning composition and an ion exchange resin is disclosed. The method involves spraying a cleaning composition on the window surface, preparing purified rinse water by passing the rinse water through the ion exchange resin and rinsing the window surface with the purified rinse water.
PCT Publication WO 98/01223 is directed to a lightweight portable device for converting tap water into a spray of demineralized water. This publication states that it discloses a device for producing a controlled spray of deionized water, useful for rinsing cars and windows. This publication further states that the prior art has failed to provide teachings of a lightweight and readily portable, economical device and method for “real time” conversion of tap water into demineralized water which can be used to, among other things, rinse surfaces after cleaning without leaving water spots if the surface is not wiped dry.
A web site for All Water.com discloses wall mounted ion exchange cartridge systems comprising “high capacity” mixed bed ion exchange cartridge systems.
The devices disclosed in these publications and on this web site, however, are believed to suffer from a number of deficiencies, including but not limited to: that they are still not light weight and compact enough for some uses; that the water discharged from the same may still leave undesirable residues when it is sprayed or otherwise applied to a surface; and, that the flow rate through such devices is not as high as may be desirable, or the water quality and volume of desirable water is adversely affected at the desirable high flow rates.